VolitionRx to test NuQ on Wales Cancer Bank

10 Jan 2013, BioSpectrum Bureau , BioSpectrum

Singapore: VolitionRx will commence a large internal clinical study for its nucleosomics diagnostic products this month. The trial will be carried out in VolitionRx's laboratory on patient blood samples supplied by the Wales Cancer Bank, based in Cardiff, UK.

The NuQ tests will be conducted on blood samples taken from more than 800 cancer patients by the Wales Cancer Bank as well as healthy control volunteers. The study follows a highly successful pilot study on 100 patient samples from the Wales Cancer Bank (results of which were announced in December 2012), after which VolitionRx was awarded scientific approval from the bank for the number of patients needed for a full scale clinical trial.

Mr Jake Micallef, chief scientific officer, VolitionRx, said, "These larger studies follow successful completion of our own internal pilot studies. This is the next step in obtaining European market approval for nucleosomics diagnostic tests (beginning with the patient numbers needed for breast and colorectal cancer), and establishing them in routine clinical use."

Professor Malcolm Mason , director, Wales Cancer Biobank, said, "We are delighted to be providing patient blood samples for VolitionRx's cancer trial. Their technology shows promise and we were very happy with their initial results in the pilot study carried out in 2012. We look forward to seeing the results from this larger trial."

In addition to the trial announced, VolitionRx is currently undertaking four trials, including three multi-cancer trials at Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn, Germany, and a study into colorectal cancer at CHU-UCL Mont-Godinne Hospital, Belgium.